Gunfire heard near Turkish PM's office

Broadcaster NTV says three shots fired near Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office but that they are blank cartridges.

05 Nov 2012 14:29 GMT

A gunman fired three blank rounds inside the building housing the Turkish prime minister's office in Ankara on Monday as ministers convened there for a cabinet meeting, Turkish state-run broadcaster TRT said.

There were no reports of casualties after the man fired in the air after entering a side entrance to the building. Security staffed seized him immediately and handed him over to the police.

The shots were heard shortly after prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ministers began their weekly cabinet meeting.

Officials at the prime minister's office said the meeting was still continuing. No further details were available, and there was no word on the gunman's motive.